Getting Real With Jennifer Proctor
YOU CAN DO IT!! We often tell our children this, but how often do you hear these words? Maybe you do hear this phrase from others as well as from yourself. Do you tell yourself YOU CAN DO IT!? You should. As moms, we put the needs of others first, spend countless hours taking care of others, make sure the family is operating smoothly, and we can easily loose ourselves in the rush of things to be done. I used to go to bed so exhausted I thought I couldn’t possibly do any more. I still have these evenings, but rarely now. Is this really possible? The answer is YES!
The solution: exercise. You can do it! The first step was to just get moving. Now add to it. Take 20 minutes a day, three or four days a week to ride a bike, walk or jog, workout somehow. Turn your walk into a little faster pace and then walk a little farther in the same amount of time. Also, check out what’s available at the library on DVD or check your TV listings for a structured workout. There are tons of resources out there, we just need to look. Find something you like to do and slowly add it into your day until it becomes your new normal.
Don’t push yourself too hard, just a little more each day than you did the day before. When we add new activities to our schedule too fast our bodies will fight back and be really sore creating negative muscle memory. Start slow, drink water after you exercise, and slowly build to your workout schedule. The idea is to build positive muscle memory so you’ll do it again, feel better, have more energy during the day and sleep better at night. The physical and mental benefits will be rewarding and make you a better mom. So, yes, YOU CAN DO IT!! Now find those tennis shoes and take a walk.
